This invention relates generally to improvements in devices and methods for cutting food products such as vegetable products, such as potatoes, into lattice or waffle-cut slices. More particularly, this invention relates to a relatively simple yet highly effective lattice cutting or slicing machine for cutting a succession of potatoes or the like traveling along a hydraulic flow path into lattice or waffle-cut slices.
Potato slices having a lattice or waffle-cut geometry represent a popular food product. Such potato slices are characterized by corrugated cut patterns on opposite sides of each slice, wherein the opposing cut patterns are angularly oriented relative to each other such as at approximate right angles. The troughs or valleys of the opposing corrugated cut patterns are desirably sufficiently deep to partially intersect one another, resulting in a potato slice having a generally rectangular grid configuration with a repeating pattern of small openings formed therethrough. Relatively thin lattice cut slices of this type are commonly processed to form lattice cut potato chips. Thicker lattice cut slices are typically processed by parfrying and/or finish frying to form lattice or so-called waffle-cut French fries.
Slicing machines have been developed for production cutting of potatoes and other food products into lattice cut slices of the type described above. One such lattice cut slicing machine is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,130, which is incorporated by reference herein. This lattice cut slicing machine comprises an upwardly open housing having a rotary impeller mounted therein for receiving and guiding products such as potatoes into cutting engagement with a plurality of lattice cut slicing knives mounted on a peripheral stationary cutting assembly or frame. More particularly, the products are fed by suitable conveyor or supply means to fall downwardly through an upwardly open inlet throat of the rotary impeller, which in turn throws the products radially outwardly by centrifugal action into a plurality of radially open guide tubes. These guide tubes support and rotate the products as the impeller rotates to carry the products into cutting engagement with non-rotating lattice cut slicing knives mounted on the stationary cutting frame. In addition, these guide tubes rotate the products through approximately 90°, relative to a radial guide tube axis, between engagement with successive slicing knives, so that the cut patterns formed on opposite sides of each slice are oriented approximately perpendicular to each other. In a production environment, such slicing machine is capable of handling a substantial mass through-put of products, and typically operates with an impeller speed on the order of about 400 revolutions per minute (rpm).
For additional examples of lattice cut slicing machines, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,139,127 and 6,928,915; U.S. Publication 2009/0202694; and U.S. Prov. Appln. 61/329,843, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
While rotatably supporting and manipulating the vegetable product such as a potato for sequentially engaging multiple stationary lattice cut slicing knives is effective to produce a substantial quantity of lattice or waffle-cut slices, modern production requirements typically require several such slicing machines to operate in parallel with each other to meet consumer demand. As a result, the capital equipment cost tends to be relatively high, particularly in comparison with straight-cut French fry slices which are typically cut by means of a so-called water knife wherein a grid of knife blades are mounted along a hydraulic flume or flow path through which potatoes are propelled one at a time by a hydraulic fluid such as water.
There exists, therefore, a need for continuing improvements in lattice slicing or cutting equipment used in production, and, more particularly, to a lattice cutting machine adapted to rapidly and consistently cut potatoes and the like propelled along an hydraulic flow path into lattice or waffle-cut slices of selected slice thickness. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.